Food For Thought: Is This The Perfect Time For Liverpool To Face Manchester City?

"And that a superb run by... JohnSOOOOONNNNNNN! And it’s the former Chelsea man who brings them down!"

- 19.11.2011, Chelsea FC 1-2 Liverpool FC

"And that was the Edinson Cavani show! What Mancini wouldn't have done to buy those two vital goals..."

-22.11.2011, SSC Napoli 2-1 Manchester City FC

That was how the ball bounced. Liverpool overcame Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – AGAIN! And Manchester City choked in the Champions League – AGAIN!

Maybe it was just foolish to predict otherwise. But in football, the only direction is forward, on and off the pitch, so we leave behind Andre Villas-Boas and his woes, we leave behind Cannavaro's charges celebrating at San Paolo and go straight to the Anfield cauldron.

There a simmering stew of Red Army awaits the men in light blue for a potentially uncomfortable clash.

And through a mixture of fortune and fortitude, the run up to Sunday's clash seems to have suddenly swung hugely in Liverpool's favour. But only apparently.

Liverpool have hardly been in an all-conquering form recently. Their last 5 games reading DWWDW, the two draws against newly promoted sides. They held the other marauding Mancunians 1-1 (though in all honestly they should consider that 2 points dropped) and beat the boisterous Blues in their backyard in their most recent game.

Manchester City, on the other hand, have done quite well with their form reading WWWWL. It must be pointed that almost all the wins weren't as comfortable as they might have been expected to be for a team so expensively assembled especially against the newly promoted Queen's Park Rangers, who pegged them back twice at Loftus Road before finally succumbing.

But statistics will only show you what you want to see. So let’s analyse the more human factors instead.

Keep Suarez Quiet And The Job Is 50% Done

As always, for Liverpool, there is the Luis Suarez quotient. Spark or fizzle? Livewire that he is, if he can be kept quiet, half of Liverpool's plan is sunk, in truth. David Luiz had the Uruguayan in his pocket and Liverpool didn't even threaten the Chelsea goal. It's a whole different issue that Chelsea keeled over and died on their own accord.

People may argue that a win is a win, but analytically speaking, it is not something that bodes well for the club. And may god bless Martin Kelly, the lad has a wonderful future at the club, but Glen Johnson is back with a bang. Is he the best attacking right back in the Premier League? John Terry and Ashley Cole might ruefully agree.

Liverpool may have been held scoreless at Anfield by Swansea, but with the big names on the operation table gradually reducing, Liverpool can only go forward. Add to the fact that they have been in wonderful form against the perceived 'big teams', and we have a mighty good game on our hands.

But can they adjust their game to bring all their stars into play? The Chelsea game suggests (slightly deceptively) that they might, and the City game will be their baptism of fire. But in every other way, in terms of morale and belief, the last gasp 1-2 was the best possible outcome going in to face the pacesetters at home.

And on the other side of that argument, it depends on how good a job Vincent Kompany and company will do. The Belgian has always been the most underrated defender to become a vital part of the 'Manchester is Blue' revolution and deserves more credit than he has been getting.

Joleon Lescott, after initially seeming overawed by his surroundings, has settled in to form a formidable defensive partnership with Kompany. Their forward line has been dominating and their midfield near flawless. They finally seem to have struck a good combination all over.

They have brushed past all but Fulham with, more or less, a degree of ease. But their troubles have all been in Europe. They are finally beginning to realize their best is not good enough in the continent, not to speak too highly of the other leagues but to put it down to Mancini's moan of 'inexperience'.

Napoli Beat The Cash Rich Man City

The Napoli loss leaves Manchester City on the cusp of failing to qualify for Europe's knockout stages. Will it have hurt Mancini's men enough for the wobble to become a blip and the blip to become a downward spiral? We shall see.

 In this topsy turvy season where we have just about seen it all, Liverpool have a better chance than most to end Manchester City's winning streak. They have the home advantage but will they take it?  At least four other teams in the Premier League hope so.

Onward to Anfield!

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